Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said he has developed an unexpected rapport with Dr. Mehmet Oz\u2014now serving as director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services\u2014despite their bruising 2022 Senate race, highlighting his broader critique of rising political hostility and what he has described elsewhere as \u201cTrump Derangement Syndrome\u201d within his own party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an interview released Tuesday with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Fetterman reflected on his past rivalry with Oz, whom he defeated to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. While acknowledging the race \u201cgot nasty,\u201d Fetterman emphasized a level of personal respect that has carried over into their post-election interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cYou know that that campaign got nasty, but you know he\u2019s undeniably, he\u2019s a brilliant guy and I\u2019ve had heart issues,\u201d Fetterman told Hannity. \u201cI would have no problem to have him operate on me, either.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Fetterman, who suffered a stroke in May 2022 during the campaign, said the experience reshaped how he views political conflict and personal animosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI\u2019ve had a near death experience,\u201d Fetterman added. \u201cI don\u2019t, I don\u2019t carry any of that stuff and you know, we\u2019re in the business that there is, part of it is just professional wrestling and then the more it gets more and more personal, like, that\u2019s really in the wrong direction and things get really, really kind of bitter\u2026 and when you are openly telling people to you know, fuck off, or call these kinds of names that\u2019s become the new normal and that\u2019s just the wrong direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
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